hardly　seemed　worth　while　to　focus　my　mind；　but　I　did　it
  occasionally　just　by　way　of　testing　myself。　　Schwartz　still　threw
  away　his　gold　coins；　and　once；　in　one　of　my　rare　intervals　of
  looking　about　me；　I　saw　Denton　picking　them　up。　　This　surprised
  me　mildly；　but　I　was　too　tired　to　be　very　curious。　　Only　now；
  when　I　saw　Schwartz's　arm　sweep　out　in　what　had　become　a
  mechanical　movement；　I　always　took　pains　to　look；　and　always　I
  saw　Denton　search　for　the　coin。　　Sometimes　he　found　it；　and
  sometimes　he　did　not。
  The　figures　of　my　companions　and　the　yellow…brown　tide　sand　under
  my　feet；　and　a　consciousness　of　the　blue　and　white　sea　to　my
  left；　are　all　I　remember；　except　when　we　had　to　pull　ourselves
  together　for　the　purpose　of　cutting　fishhook　cactus。　　I　kept
  going；　and　I　knew　I　had　a　good　reason　for　doing　so；　but　it　seemed
  too　much　of　an　effort　to　recall　what　that　reason　was。
  Schwartz　threw　away　a　gold　piece　as　another　man　would　take　a
  stimulant。　　Gradually；　without　really　thinking　about　it；　I　came
  to　see　this；　and　then　went　on　to　sabe　why　Denton　picked　up　the
  coins；　and　a　great　admiration　for　Denton's　cleverness　seeped
  through　me　like　water　through　the　sand。　　He　was　saving　the　coins
  to　keep　Schwartz　going。　　When　the　last　coin　went；　Schwartz　would
  give　out。　　It　all　sounds　queer　now；　but　it　seemed　all　right
  thenand　it　WAS　all　right；　too。
  So　we　walked　on　the　beach；　losing　entire　track　of　time。　　And
  after　a　long　interval　I　came　to　myself　to　see　Schwartz　lying　on
  the　sand；　and　Denton　standing　over　him。　　Of　course　we'd　all　been
  falling　down　a　lot；　but　always　before　we'd　got　up　again。
  〃He's　give　out；〃　croaked　Denton。
  His　voice　sounded　as　if　it　was　miles　away；　which　surprised　me；
  but；　when　I　answered；　mine　sounded　miles　away；　too；　which
  surprised　me　still　more。
  Denton　pulled　out　a　handful　of　gold　coins。
  〃This　will　buy　him　some　more　walk；〃　said　he　gravely；　〃but　not
  much。〃
  I　nodded。　　It　seemed　all　right；　this　new；　strange　purchasing
  power　of　goldit　WAS　all　right；　by　God；　and　as　real　as　buying
  bricks
  〃I'll　go　on；〃　said　Denton；　〃and　send　back　help。　　You　come　after。〃
  〃To　Mollyhay！〃　said　I。
  This　far　I　reckon　we'd　hung　onto　ourselves　because　it　was
  serious。　　Now　I　began　to　laugh。　　So　did　Denton。　　We　laughed　and
  laughed。
  〃A　damn　long　way
  To　Mollyhay。〃
  said　I。　Then　we　laughed　some　more；　until　the　tears　ran　down　our
  cheeks；　and　we　had　to　hold　our　poor　weak　sides。　　Pretty　soon　we
  fetched　up　with　a　gasp。
  〃A　damn　long　way
  To　Mollyhay；〃
  whispered　Denton；　and　then　off　we　went　into　more　shrieks。　　And
  when　we　would　sober　down　a　little；　one　or　the　other　of　us　would
  say　it　again；
  〃A　damn　long　way
  To　Mollyhay；〃
  and　then　we'd　laugh　some　more。　　It　must　have　been　a　sweet　sight！
  At　last　I　realised　that　we　ought　to　pull　ourselves　together；　so　I
  snubbed　up　short；　and　Denton　did　the　same；　and　we　set　to　laying
  plans。　　But　every　minute　or　so　one　of　us　would　catch　on　some
  word；　and　then　we'd　trail　off　into　rhymes　and　laughter　and
  repetition。
  〃Keep　him　going　as　long　as　you　can；〃　said　Denton。
  〃Yes。〃
  〃And　be　sure　to　stick　to　the　beach。〃
  That　far　it　was　all　right　and　clear…headed。　　But　the　word　〃beach〃
  let　us　out。
  〃I'm　a　peach
  Upon　the　beach；〃
  sings　I；　and　there　we　were　both　off　again　until　one　or　the　other
  managed　to　grope　his　way　back　to　common　sense　again。　　And
  sometimes　we　crow…hopped　solemnly　around　and　around　the　prostrate
  Schwartz　like　a　pair　of　Injins。
  But　somehow　we　got　our　plan　laid　at　last；　slipped　the　coins　into
  Schwartz's　pocket；　and　said　good…bye。
  〃Old　socks；　good…bye；
  You　bet　I'll　try；〃
  yelled　Denton；　and　laughing　fit　to　kill；　danced　off　up　the　beach；
  and　out　into　a　sort　of　grey　mist　that　shut　off　everything　beyond
  a　certain　distance　from　me　now。
  So　I　kicked　Schwartz；　he　felt　in　his　pocket；　threw　a　gold　piece
  away；　and　〃bought　a　little　more　walk。〃
  My　entire　vision　was　fifty　feet　or　so　across。　　Beyond　that　was
  grey　mist。　　Inside　my　circle　I　could　see　the　sand　quite　plainly
  and　Denton's　footprints。　　If　I　moved　a　little　to　the　left；　the
  wash　of　the　waters　would　lap　under　the　edge　of　that　grey　curtain。
  If　I　moved　to　the　right；　I　came　to　cliffs。　　The　nearer　I　drew　to
  them；　the　farther　up　I　could　see；　but　I　could　never　see　to　the
  top。　　It　used　to　amuse　me　to　move　this　area　of　consciousness
  about　to　see　what　I　could　find。　　Actual　physical　suffering　was
  beginning　to　dull；　and　my　head　seemed　to　be　getting　clearer。
  One　day；　without　any　apparent　reason；　I　moved　at　right　angles
  across　the　beach。　　Directly　before　me　lay　a　piece　of　sugar　cane；
  and　one　end　of　it　had　been　chewed。
  Do　you　know　what　that　meant？　　Animals　don't　cut　sugar　cane　and
  bring　it　to　the　beach　and　chew　one　end。　　A　new　strength　ran
  through　me；　and　actually　the　grey　mist　thinned　and　lifted　for　a
  moment；　until　I　could　make　out　dimly　the　line　of　cliffs　and　the
  tumbling　sea。
  I　was　not　a　bit　hungry；　but　I　chewed　on　the　sugar　cane；　and　made
  Schwartz　do　the　same。　　When　we　went　on　I　kept　close　to　the　cliff；
  even　though　the　walking　was　somewhat　heavier。
  I　remember　after　that　its　getting　dark　and　then　light　again；　so
  the　night　must　have　passed；　but　whether　we　rested　or　walked　I　do
  not　know。　　Probably　we　did　not　get　very　far；　though　certainly　we
  staggered　ahead　after　sun…up；　for　I　remember　my　shadow。
  About　midday；　I　suppose；　I　made　out　a　dim　trail　leading　up　a
  break　in　the　cliffs。　　Plenty　of　such　trails　we　had　seen　before。
  They　were　generally　made　by　peccaries　in　search　of　cast…up　fish
  I　hope　they　had　better　luck　than　we。
  But　in　the　middle　of　this；　as　though　for　a　sign；　lay　another
  piece　of　chewed　sugar　cane。
  CHAPTER　FIFTEEN
  THE　CALABASH　STEW
  I　had　agreed　with　Denton　to　stick　to　the　beach；　but　Schwartz
  could　not　last　much　longer；　and　I　had　not　the　slightest　idea　how
  far　it　might　prove　to　be　to　Mollyhay。　　So　I　turned　up　the　trail。
  We　climbed　a　mountain　ten　thousand　feet　high。　　I　mean　that；　and　I
  know；　for　I've　climbed　them　that　high；　and　I　know　just　how　it
  feels；　and　how　many　times　you　have　to　rest；　and　how　long　it
  takes；　and　how　much　it　knocks　out　of　you。　　Those　are　the　things
  that　count　in　measuring　height；　and　so　I　tell　you　we　climbed　that
  far。　　Actually　I　suppose　the　hill　was　a　couple　of　hundred　feet；
  if　not　less。　　But　on　account　of　the　grey　mist　I　mentioned；　I
  could　not　see　the　top；　and　the　illusion　was　complete。
  We　reached　the　summit　late　in　the　afternoon；　for　the　sun　was
  square　in　our　eyes。　　But　instead　of　blinding　me；　it　seemed　to
  clear　my　sight；　so　that　I　saw　below　me　a　little　mud　hut　with
  smoke　rising　behind　it；　and　a　small　patch　of　cultivated　ground。
  I'll　pass　over　how　I　felt　about　it：　　they　haven't　made　the
  words
  Well；　we　stumbled　down　the　trail　and　into　the　hut。　　At　first　I
  thought　it　was　empty；　but　after　a　minute　I　saw　a　very　old　man
  crouched　in　a　corner。　　As　I　looked　at　him　he　raised　his　bleared
  eyes　to　me；　his　head　swinging　slowly　from　side　to　side　as　though
  with　a　kind　of　palsy。　　He　could　not　see　me；　that　was　evident；　nor
  hear　me；　but　some　instinct　not　yet　decayed　turned　him　toward　a
  new　presence　in　the　room。　　In　my　wild　desire　for　water　I　found
  room　to　think　that　here　was　a　man　even　worse　off　than　myself。
  A　vessel　of　water　was　in　the　corner。　　I　drank　it。　It　was　more
  than　I　could　hold；　but　I　drank　even　after　I　was　filled；　and　the
  waste　ran　from　the　corners　of　my　mouth。　　I　had　forgotten
  Schwartz。　　The　excess　made　me　a　little　sick；　but　I　held　down　what
  I　had　swallowed；　and　I　really　believe　it　soaked　into　my　system　as
  it　does　into　the　desert　earth　after　a　drought。
  In　a　moment　or　so　I　took　the　vessel　and　filled　it　and　gave　it　to
  Schwartz。　　Then　it　seemed　to　me　that　my　responsibility　had　ended。
  A　sudden　great　dreamy　lassitude　came　over　me。　　I　knew　I　needed
  food；　but　I　had　no　wish　for　it；　and　no　ambition　to　search　it　out。
  The　man　in　the　corner　mumbled　at　me　with　his　toothless　gums。　　I
  remember　wondering　if　we　were　all　to　starve　there　peacefully
  togetherSchwartz　and　his　remaining　gold　coins；　the　man　far　gone
  in　years；　and　myself。　　I　did　not　greatly　care。
  After　a　while　the　light　was　blotted　out。　　There　followed　a　slight
  pause。　　Then　I　knew　that　someone　had　flown　to　my　side；　and　was
  kneeling　beside　me　and　saying　liquid；　pitying　things　in　Mexican。
  I　swallowed　something　hot　and　strong。　　In　a　moment　I　came　back
  from　wherever　I　was　drifting；　to　look　up　at　a　Mexican　girl　about
  twenty　years　old。
  She　was　no　great　matter　in　looks；　but　she　seemed　like　an　angel　to
  me　then。　　And　she　had　sense。　　No　questions；　no　nothing。　　Just
  business。　　The　only　thing　she　asked　of　me　was　if　I　understood
  Spanish。
  Then　she　told　me　that　her　brother　would　be　back　soon；　that